I’ve always believed that success is built, not born, and that school is just the first chapter.

My own path took me from studying applied math at UCLA, to a master’s in operations research at Columbia, to a career leading data science teams at three high-growth companies (Zynga, Uber, Figma), each of which went public while I was leading teams there. Along the way, I learned that what matters most isn’t on any transcript. It’s having a plan, following through, and staying focused when things get hard. Those habits carried me well beyond college, and they still do.

I saw the same thing in the people I hired and led. Across my teams, I managed more than 100 people, and the ones who thrived weren’t always the ones with the most impressive résumés. They were the ones who knew how to set goals, follow through, and keep going. The most rewarding part of my career wasn’t the IPOs. It was helping people build those skills and grow into their potential.

I’m also a mom to a 3rd grader and a 6th grader, so I see firsthand how big the leap into middle school can be. Kids today face so much pressure and comparison, so early. I want them to know that success isn’t about measuring up to everyone else. It’s about discovering what they’re uniquely great at and building the habits to become the best version of themselves.

That’s why I started First Mile. Every student can become a confident, capable learner. They just need a strong start.